Life Stories

On this month’s Euro Comics episode, Edward and Derek check out to recent publications, both from publishers that they’ve yet to discuss on the series. They begin with Boulet’s Notes 1: Born to Be a Larve, just out from Soaring Penguin Press. This is the first collection of the comics Boulet created specifically for his blog, and this initial volume includes the entries published between July 2004 and July 2005. While the guys enjoy Boulet’s work, they feel that the strips may not work as well in book form as they had originally on the blog. The episodic nature of the comics could probably be better appreciated as online updates than as a bound collection.

Next, the guys turn to Pénélope Bagieu’s latest English translation California Dreamin’: Cass Elliot before The Mamas and the Papas (First Second). Derek and Andy W. had discussed Bagieu’s earlier book, Exquisite Corpse, on an episode about two years ago, and the latest work certainly follows up on that promise. In fact, Edward is bowled away by this graphic biography. As the subtitle suggests, it covers the life of Cass Elliot — born Ellen Cohen — up to the breakout of the famous 1960s quartet. The guys appreciate Bagieu’s art, but they are particularly impressed by her choices of narration and her structuring of the story.

Everyone is still recovering from New York Comic Con so Jimmy does it all sans co-host. He gives a quick recap of his NYCC adventures (mostly interviews) and all the exciting things he saw over the weekend. News includes: Mariko Tamaki to helm new Tomb Raider series, new Bloom County collections coming from IDW, The Incredibles 2 gets a release date, Avengers: Standoff will be Marvel’s next big event, Jared Leto and Mark Ruffalo attended NYCC in disguise and more! Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love! Also, get a hold of us!

After a last minute cancellation, Jimmy gets returning champion Emmy Potter to well…return and co-host! NYCC madness is in full effect and Jimmy chats about his planned coverage. You’ll also hear about how The Penguin and Jimmy shared some soap. And, of course, they have to talk about Doctor Who! News includes: Doctor Who gets a YA spin-off called Class, old Daredevil team reunites for new Black Widow comic, Marvel’s Damage Control comic is being adapted for TV, Seth Grahame-Smith to direct The Flash movie, Taika Waititi to direct Thor: Ragnarok and more! Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love! Also, get a hold of us!

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O Canada

This week on the their weekly review show, Derek and Andy W. discuss three new books that are definitely worth checking out. They begin with Pénélope Bagieu’s Exquisite Corpse from First Second. This may be the first English-language publication for Bagieu (the guys aren’t certain about this), and it’s a great introduction from one of France’s current popular creators. It’s a romantic comedy with a sophisticated premise and an unexpected twist at the end. In fact, it’s the narrative’s quick wrap-up that puzzles the Two Guys. While they both enjoyed the story, they nonetheless read the ending as an undermining — perhaps a betrayal? — of character cohesiveness that was established in the first 4/5 of the book. It’s almost as if Begieu changed her mind in the final pages of her narrative and wanted to rewrite the way we should interpret a major character. Still, her art is infectious and works hand-in-hand with the humorous, yet incisive, events that unfold. Next, the guys look at Operation Nemesis: A Story of Genocide and Revenge (Devil’s Due), written by Josh Blaylock and with art by Hoyt Silva. This is a historical narrative focusing on the trial of Soghomon Tehlirian, the Armenian expatriate who assassinated Taalat Pasha, the former Minister of the Interior of the Ottoman Empire, in Berlin during the early days of the Weimar Republic. But the trial is merely a scaffolding on which Blaylock constructs his story of the horrific Armenian Genocide of 1915, a slaughter that the Turkish government to this day will not acknowledge. As Andy and Derek point out, the art is a little confusing in places, but the message comes through loud and clear. This true story is an uncomfortable read, and purposefully so, and it brings much-needed attention to a twentieth-century holocaust that is woefully overlooked. Finally, the Two Guys with PhDs turn to the latest volume of Seth’s Palookaville (Drawn and Quarterly). Derek has been looking forward to #22 since the last installment in October 2013, but as it always is with Seth’s comics, it’s well worth the wait. This is Andy’s first exposure to Palookaville, and the guys play off of this difference of reading experience: Andy as a Seth novice and Derek as a diehard fan. As with the two previous book versions of Palookaville — issues #1-#19 of the title was published in comic-book form — this one is divided into three sections. The first is a continuation of Seth’s ongoing narrative, Clyde Fans, which began in Palookaville #10 from 1997. We’re well into the fourth part of this story, set in 1975 and focusing on retired salesman Abraham Matchcard, his reclusive brother Simon, and his encounter with his former lover, Alice. But Abe’s real relationship is with his past, and Seth is expert at teasing out character through memory, scenic transitions, and inner dialogue. The middle section of the book is a composite of photoessay and comics, focusing on the Crown Barber Shop in Guelph, Ontario, and owned by Seth’s wife Tania Van Spyk. Derek is particularly taken with this contribution since his father was a barber, and he grew up working as a shoeshine boy in a similar kind of shop. The third section of Palookaville is the second part of “Nothing Lasts,” one of Seth’s sketchbook stories that began in the previous volume. This is an autobiographic narrative that carries us through the author’s teenage years. As with the previous installment, the comic is profoundly moving with a rich mixture of understanding, melancholy, and wistfulness. As with all of Seth’s works, this volume of Palookaville will make you long for the kind of Canadian landscape and atmosphere that only he can deliver.